Glastonbury turns back the clock

Linda Lewis will be returning to Glastonbury this year

May 31 2011 05:44 PM

Acts which played the Glastonbury Festival 40 years ago, including Linda Lewis and Nick Lowe, are to perform the event once again on a newly introduced stage.

Organisers are keen to mark the anniversary of the 1971 event - then known as Glastonbury Fair Free Festival - which saw the Pyramid Stage erected for the first time.

Performers such as Terry Reid and Melanie will be returning to the event to play the Spirit of 71 stage, alongside festival headliners U2, Coldplay and Beyonce.

Although the festival marked its 40th birthday last year, it began to look more like the current event in 1971, adopting the 'Glastonbury' name, rather than the Pilton Pop Festival the year before, as well a mid-summer location in the calendar and a more recognisable main stage.

Terry and Linda will be playing back-to-back as they did four decades ago. Nick originally played with his band Brinsley Schwarz, while Edgar Broughton, Arthur Brown and Steve Hillage from Gong will also play.

Conductor and broadcaster Charles Hazlewood will also turn back the clock to perform Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells, with a group which includes Adrian Utley from Portishead and Will Gregory from Goldfrapp.

Andrew Kerr, one of the original organisers, has also signed up Noel Harrison, best known for his hit Windmills of your Mind, and whom he had wanted to book back in 1971.

The stage will be located in a new Glastonbury Fair area of the festival, which takes place from June 22 to 26.